Stew
/stjuː/noun
A dish of food slowly cooked in liquid, or to simmer gently.
Did you know?In Middle English, the same root was used for public bathhouses and brothels, because a 'stew' was originally a steamy, heated place before it became a pot of food.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*stautjaną
“to push, thrust, strike, or agitate”
Old English
OE
stēowan
“to stir, agitate, or move about”
Middle English
ME
stewen
“to bathe, soak, or simmer in hot liquid”
14th Century
English
stew
“a place for bathing; a brothel or bathhouse”
16th Century
English
stew
“food gently cooked by simmering”
Modern English
English
stew
“food cooked slowly in liquid; also, to simmer or worry”
Explore more surprising origins